Khamenei-Led Iran Plans ‘Harsh, Unimaginable’ Retaliation Against Israeli Airstrikes
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered military officials to prepare for a reprisal attack against Israel following recent airstrikes on Iranian military sites.
This comes amid escalating military tensions between the two rival nations, which have engaged in back-to-back retaliatory strikes. The Israeli Air Force last week targeted anti-aircraft batteries and radar installations in Iran, claiming to have neutralised significant military capabilities.
According to The New York Times, Iranian officials in response have issued strong warnings of “harsh” and “unimaginable” retaliation. Some experts have suggested that the response may be timed to follow the US elections on November 5, while others indicate it could occur sooner.
Lists of potential Israeli targets
Khamenei’s order was reportedly made after he reviewed the extent of damage from the Israeli strikes, which resulted in the deaths of four Iranian soldiers. Despite claims from Iranian officials that the damage was minimal, Khamenei emphasized that a failure to retaliate would be perceived as a sign of weakness.
Military planners in Iran are currently compiling lists of potential Israeli targets for a counterattack, according to The Times of Israel. Israeli intelligence suggests that Iran may launch its retaliation from Iraqi territory using pro-Iranian militias, which could serve to mitigate the risk of direct retaliation against Iranian soil. This strategy aims to avoid further escalation while still delivering a significant response to Israel’s actions.
‘We struck its soft underbelly’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the country maintains greater operational freedom within Iran than ever before, asserting that recent operations have severely compromised Iran’s air defence systems. He reiterated Israel’s commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and indicated readiness for further military action if necessary.
In a statement released on Thursday, Netanyahu’s office said, “The supreme objective that I set for the IDF and the security services is to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons. Halting the nuclear program has been – and remains – our chief concern. I have not taken, we have not taken and we will not take, our eyes off this objective.”
“Regarding Iran, we struck its soft underbelly. The haughty words of the Iranian regime’s leaders cannot cover up the fact in Iran today, Israel has greater freedom of action than ever before. We can go anywhere that we need to in Iran,” the prime minister’s office added.